Sheet-feeding machine.



H. G. LA BATT. SHEET FEEDING MACHINE. APPLIOATIOK FILED MAR. 21, 1905. RENEWED 11.19. 1911.

3 BHEETS9HBET 2.

Patented Sept. 19, 1911 Jwvenfor:

f/orrzer fillajaif -PL H 7 m mm Wu F NMJ N m em QM. em 5 H. 0; LA BATT.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLIOA'I'IOII nun HA3. a1. 1905. nrmnwnn JAR. 1a. 1911.

1,603,473, Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

a an'nnwsaunn'r a.

@mumm STATES PATENT OFFICE.

x nigl JIM t or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, assrenoa 'ro WILLIAMJ. HERRIGK, or fi CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHEET-FEEDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 19, 1911 1,.jilkpflliiiati6n sal mi. 2"), 1905, Serial no. 262,261. Renewed January s, 1911. Serial No. 603.401.

1 mi esi concern:

. ,Be, it-dgnown that I, HOMER C. Le Barr, a ,ggi 'z en of; ,the United States, residing at QC icagman county of Cook and State of 5,.lllinois have invented certain new and use- :fu! Improve)nents, in Sheet-Feeding Machines, ofwhich the following is a specificat om reference beingdiad therein to the acl ami ede v 1o. This invention relates to improvements in g pa perf ian -dling machines, such as paper feeding-machines, adapted to successively ifeedisheets of, paper one at a time from a ;.pi, le' or,staclr to an associated printing,

folding or like machine. ,,,'.lh e objects. of the invention are to generally 'mprove and simplify machines of .this ass, particularly with reference to the meansifor operating the buckling and fronti feeding devices.

Qther objects as well as theadvantages of the nvent on will be apparent front the ac- ,coinpanymg specification.

The, invention consists of the combina- Ltions, organizations and arrangements of fparts hereinafter described and then pointed outin the appended claims.

. In the accompanying drawingsFigui-e 1 11$ :1. plan view of the machine; Fig. 2 isa 3p :section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a V siictidnon'the'line' et of Fig. 1. V flnejstack or pile of sheets 10, shown in l ig. 2,to be fed to, the printing press, folder r or othdrassociated [machine is carried by an iflflfill tftfdbl table, 11; any suitable meansbeing automatically adjusting the table tokeepthe-to sheet within operative rei'a tion'to the hue ling and front feeding @dev ee's hereinafter described. This table is emna ts on a suitable supporting frame 12 i' nd s e. i is tar;

fjjlatter throl'igh' the medium of a suitable which forms the base or support upon which the'vai'ious members of the machine are carried Aniain,driving shaft 13 is journaled on the fragment-[the front thereof and mot be communicated to this shaft t ng:' suitable'fsource of power. A seefItis journaled on the frame above IBTand receives motion from the sauna" of caring 15 and a'cluteh'16,lodated at one si e of the machine, which may be of any suitable character, such as that described and claimed in an application for patent filed by me March 27, 1905, Serial No. 252,262. A miter gear 17 is fixed to the shaft 14 at the opposite side ofthe machine and meshes with and drives a miter gear 18 ,fixed on a longitudinal shaft 19 journaled in bearings 20 on one side of the frame. A pair of guide rods 21 extend rearwardly from the risers 22 at the opposite sidesof while the rod 25 is stationary. The shaft 12 extends through and is journaled in bearings 28 on the bracket 23 at that side of the machine and is provided with a key-Way 29, as shown. A bevel gear 30 is carriedby the shaft 19 beingloca ed between the bearings 28, and oy reason of the key-way is rotated by the shaft 19 but is adapted to slide along the same when the carriage is adjusted, as hereinafter explained. The bevel gear 30 meshes with and drives a similar gear 31 fixed on the adjacent end of the rod or shaft 26, as shown in Fig. 1.

The uide rods 21 are in the form of rack bars. shaft 32is suitably journaled at its ends on the brackets 23, Figs. 2 and 4, and is provided with pinions 33 which mesh with the rack bars. At one end the shaft 32 is provided with suitable means for turning the shaft such as the hand wheel 34. It is obvious that by turning the hand wheel 34 the pinions 33 will travel along theracks moving the carriage uniformly at both ends and preventing angular movement of the same and consequent binding on the guide rods. While the hand wheel 34 is preferably employed for adjusting the carria e it is 011- view; that it may be adjusted y merely pushing or pulling the same. Whenthis is done the cooperating rack bar-sand pinions will cause the carriage tomove uniformly.

.The 'bucklers which are mounted on the carriage are adapted to operate upon the rear or side edges of the sheets and raise the top sheet from the pile for the initial separation. Two of such bucklers are employed and may be of any suitable character. In the present instance each buckler comprises, as shown in Fi s. 1 and 2, a carrier 35 which is in the orm of a block provided at its ends with openin s for the cross rods 25 and'26 and adapte to slide lon itudinally upon the cross rods, it being held at any desired point of adjustment, according to the dimensions of the sheets, by means of a set screw 36 adapted to impinge against the stationary rod 25. A. vertical rod 37 is ada ted to slide through the carrier 35 and has 'xed to its lower end a bracket 38. Parallel with the rod 37 is a shaft 39 which is journaled on the carrier. This shaft receives motion from the rod of shaft 26 through the medium of a worm gear 40 splined on such rod so as to be capable of being moved along the same, and which cooperates with a worm gear 41, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, splined on'the shaft 39 in such manner as to pcrmit'of vertical movement of the shaft when the buckle]? is adjusted to properly position the same with reference 'to the. table 11. The lower end of the shaft '39 is journaled on the bracket and is provided with a miter gear 42 with whidli engages a companion gear 43 fixed to a horizontal shaft 44' also journulcd on the bracket 38. The shaft tit carries a suitable buckling pad -15 which is disposed parallel with the shaft 44 so that as such shaft is rotated the pad will be moved about the axis of the shaft to buckle the sheet. The pad is adjusted vertically by means of :1 scrmv rod 46 which is journalcd at its upper end on a plate 47 fixed to the upper end of the rod 37 and engages a suitable threaded opening (not shown) in the carrier 35. The screw rod 46 is provided with a crank (W by means of which the screw rod 46 inay he turned. By turning this crank the rod 37 will be raised or lowered, thereby raising or lowering the bracket 38 and czmscquc'ntly the buckling pad, while by loosening the set screws 1&6

the bucklcrs may be adjusted lalcrally.

Sheetholdcrs 49 against which the top sheet is buckled by the rotating pads 15 are adjustubly mounlcd on lhc rod 26 and cxtcml in front of the bucklcrs, as shown in Fig. l.

Associated with each buckling pad -15 is u prcsscr foot 50 which is'carricd by a. block 51 adiustably mounted on the rods "3 and 26. ll1osc prcsscr feet are adapted to press upon and hold the pile of shoots with sullicicnt force to provcnl' the pile from beingerowdcd or pushed forward under the prcssure of the front feeding devices, hcrcin after dcscrll-icd, when the latter are acting to deliver the top sheet, but which are automatically actuated to decrease the pressure on the pile during the o eration of the rear bucklers 45 to permit t e withdrawal of the corners of the top sheet from under the presser feet when the sheet is buckled, as more fully described in an 5. plicati'on filed by me December 18, 1903, erial No. 185,624.

The sheets after the initial separation; of the buckling pads are fed forward by-the front feeding'devices or feet 52. The front feeding devices 52 may be of any suitable character, such as that shown, and are carried by a transverse rod 53 the ends of which are fixed to vertical sleeves 54. At'each side of the machine is a guiide rod 55 on which reciprocat'es a carrier 56 from which extends vertically a post 57. The sleeves 54 receive the posts 57 and are adapted to more vertically thereon. A shaft 58 is journalccl on the risers 22 and motion is com-v municated to the shaft through the medium of a worm wheel 59 fixed on the shaft 19 and enga gin a gear 60 on the shaft 58. The ends of ti e sliaft 58 are provided with crank arms 61 and links 62 connect these crank arms with the carriers 56. The ends of the shaft 58 are also provided with cams 63. Lovers 64 are pivoted to the risers 22 at one side of the cams 63 and extend beyond the opposite side where they are provided with :mlifriction rollers 65 which engage the under faces of tlltpges 66 formed on brackets (S7.cxtcnding from the sleeves 54. The levers (H are provided with anlifricl'ion rollers 68 with which coiocrate the cams 63. The front. feeding devices are mounted on the rod 53 by means of sleeves 69 which are adapted to slide along the rod to properly position such devices, being held in adjusted proitiou by act screws 70. By means of the Jncchanism described, the fcct have imparted thereto a vertical and a llQI'lV'l'llil]. movement, the latter movement bcim accomplishcd thromrh the medium of the crant arms (31 which reciprocate the carriers 56, while owing to the engagement of the cams (l3 .with the rollers 68 the lovers M are rocked on their pivots to move the sleeve; Til; vcrlicully. 'lhcse l'novcmcnls are so timedthat as the. sheet is buckled att-he rcar by the pads '15 the lenders are drawn ri-arum'dly and then lowered into engagelncnt with fi e top sheet. 'lhc l'ccdcrs are next movcd forward moving lhc top sheet with them to the feeding oll' mechanism lu'rciIm'l'h-r described. and are then elevated out ol engagement with the shoot and relluctcd Both the front feeding dcviccs 532 and the rotating bucklc'rs 45 have motion commuui-' noted to them from the'sh-al't "l4. primarily through the medium of the gears l7 and IS. 'lhcsc gears are of such harm-tor as" to ion part a slow movement to the buckling), duviccs during the period when they'iu c uctu-' 1 of "Qvhat may g n'lijiart a quick :l'orward movement to the front fec'din devices While the are actui i n pally ,(l elivering the sheet; and a slow return movement of such front feeding devices.

Thisis :icconr)lishcd through the medium be termed an eccentric gear connection, alt-hoi'igh anv connection for at- .taining this desired (int may be en'iployed. "lu the presentjinstance the gear 17 consists lotja' initcr gear vahich is angular-1y disposed i{it l'1 reference to the shaft 14 and eccentric thereto. The gear 18 is of similar characf ter'beingdisposed atan an le to the shaft i119 and ecccntric'z' thereto. Fig. '1it is obvious that when the teeth of Qqjhegcar atfthe major radius of such gear ,engagethe'teetlnof the gear 18 at the minor radi 'iis of.the latter the shaft 19 will be ro- "a t"t h highest speed, gradually dey reference to I reasi hg in speed as the minor radius of the gear}? engages the major radius of the gear "18 then graduallv increasing again. T h e parts farlelso timed in their action that f the'e'fi'ective operation of the bucklcrs and feeding devices takes place in alternaaction"; that is to say when the shaft 19 is tina at'its slowest. speed the bucklcrs are jactiiigfto liu cldc"the sheet, and at the same I u ti n'e tlie front feeding devices are moved 1 rearward, and while the bucklers are asrotanng quickly'mto position to .buckle the u next sheet the front feeding evices are inovc'c'lfquicltly forward to deliver the previously buckled top sheet.

'lhe sheet ejecting mechanism, which is 40 designed to cjcct'thc sheets from the machine and to ivhichthe sheets are delivered by the 'froiit'feediug devices 52, comprises in the lprescnt instance the coiiperatmg disks 71 Illa 72. The disks 71 are fixed on the mam drive .shaft 13 and revolve continuously.

The disks 7?. are fixed on a shaft 73 the ends offvlrichare pivbted to the free ends of al'nis-r ld'vvhich are fixed to a transverse rock shaft .75 suitably journaled on the frame of tifljthe' machine. 'A disk 76 having a concentric can rprojcction 77 for a portion of its pced to coiiperate with an antitriction roller 78 ml an arm 79 fixed to the shaft 75. The

5 5 disk 'l'tl is so timed in its movement that. just ment with the roller 78, there-b permitting the disks 72 to move, as by gravity, to press the sheetagainstthe disks 7]. with sutlicient pressure to cause the ejection of the sheet. After the sheet is cjectedthe cam portion 77 moving into engagement with the roller 78 lifts the disks 72 and holds them elevated until the next sheet is fed forward By reason of the variable speed of the front feeding devices, that is the quick forward movement thereof and slow return, the sheets are moved forward quickly and ample time is given-during the slow return to permit the ejecting disks to discharge the sheet.

The apparatus for supplying the ill' to separate the sheets after the buckling thereof, may be of any suitable character. In the present instance this air is supplied through the medium of a cross pipe 80 mounted on the machine and to which are connected the nozzle tubes 81. The slats 82 located-at the front of the machine are employed to keep the front edge of the stack of sheets in register.

Having described my invention what I claim is 1. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with a paper table and ejectin mechanism, of rear buckling devices an front feeding devices driven at variable speed, the front. feeding devices mot'i'ng-at relatively high speed to deliver the sheets to the ejecting mechanism and atlower speed" the front feeding devices at relatively high speed to feed the sheets after the buckling operation.

3. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with a paper table, of rotating bucklers and reciprocating frontfeeding devices, and means for moving the said bucklers and front feeding devices at variable speed.

4. In a sheetfccding machine, the combination with a paper table, of rotating bucklers and reciprocating front feeding devices acting on the sheets in alternation, and means for moving the said bucklers and feeding devices at variable speed.

5. In a sheet. feeding machine, the combination with a. paper table, of rotating bucklers and reciprocating front feeding devices acting inalternation and moving at variable speed, the bucklers moving ht relatively low speed during the buckling operation and the front feeding devices at relatively high speed while delivering the sheets.

6. In a sheet feeding machine, the oombination with a paper table, of rotating bucklers and reciprocating front feeding devices acting in alternation and moving at variable speed, the buckling devices being rotated at relatively low speed to buckle the sheets and at relatively high speed while returning to buckling position and the front feeding devices. having a relatively quick forward movement to feed the sheets after the huekling operation and a relatively slow return movement.

7. In a sheet feeding nnn'hinc, the combination with a paper table, of rear bucldcrs and front feeding devices, and n'icans for moving the front feeding devices at relatively high speed while acting on the sheets and at relatively low speed during the intervals between such action.

8. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with apaper table and ejecting mechanism, of rear huclclcrs for separating the sheets, front feeding devices for delivering the sheets after separation to the ejecting mechanism, and means for moving the front feeding devices at relatively high speed to feed the sheets to the ejecting mechanism and at relatively slow speed during the return movement thereof and while the sheets are being ejected.

9. ln :1 sheet t'ccding machine, the oomhination with a paper table and ejecting rolls, of rear hucklcrs for separating the heets, reciprocating front feeding devices for delivering the sheets after separation to the ejecting rolls, and means for moving the front feeding: devir-cs forward at relatively high speed in engagement with the sheets to deliver them to the. ejecting: rolls and for l'fltl'tltiilllg! such devices at relatively lovv speed out of engagement with the short while the sheets are being ejected.

10. In a. sheet feeding machine, the comhination with a paper table, a rear shaft, r o tilting lNtt'liltl'S actuated from such sha't't. front feeding devices acting in alternation with the hucklcrs. a second shalt, tflllllltt tions between the latter shaft and the front feeding devices to reciprocate the latter and also move them into and out of engagement with the sheet and means for rotating tlnslntfts at varialde spot-d. wherein the inn:- klcrs arc movcd at low speed during the buckling operati n and at high speed while returning to lnnelililr; position and tilt front feeding devices are advanced at high speed during; the tending peration and retracted at. low speed.

ll. lo a sheet feeding! machine, the onihination with a paper tahlc and a frame having rcarwardly cxtem.lin; guides. of a carriagc comprising In'm-ln-ts nnn'ahh: on the gnidcs and cross rods on the luau-hots, rotating hnchlcrs carried hy the carriage and rc- (citing motion from one of the rods. horizontal guide rodson the 't'ranu', carriers slid-- ing: on the guide rods and having \lrlivnl posts, across lltll' slidahly mounted at its ends on the posts and provided with lcct, a cross shaft provided with crank arm links connecting the crank arms with the.

carriers, cams on the cross shaft, pivoted levers with which the cams cotiperate and adapted to move the cross bar on the posts, a longitudinal shaft for driving the buckler moving rod and the cross'shaft, and means for driving the longitudinal shaft at variable speed.

12. In a. sheet feeding machine, the combination with a paper table, of rear bucklers and front feeding devices, a shaft, connections between the shaft and the said bncklers and front feeding devices, and an eccentric gear connection for im arting varisible movement to the said shaft.

13. In a shcctfecding machine, the combination with a paper table, of bucklers for separating the sheets and front feeding devices for feeding the sheets after separation, a shaft rotating at uniform speed and provirlcd with a. gear, a drive shaft for transmitting motion to the bncklers and front feeding devices and having an eccentric gear meshing with the other gear.

14. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with a paper table, of rotating buclclers for separating the sheets, front feeding devices, a shaft, connections between such vices, a drive shaft, and an eccentric miter gear connection between the shafts.

15. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with a paper table. of rotating buc klers and reciprocating front feeding devices acting in alternation, a shaft, connections between the shaft'and the bncklers and front feeding devices, a drive shaft, and intcrmeshing miter gears and each of which is disposed eccentrically and atan angle to its respective shaft.

16. 'In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with a paper table, of rear rotating boulders for separating the sheets and recipn-:ttill;! Feet acting in alternation therewith for feeding the sheets iifter separation, a pair of transverse shafts, connect-ions betwe n one of said shafts and the buclrlers and connections lit-tween the other shaft. and the feel, a longitudinal shaft for driving the transverse shafts, a drive shaft, and cocentric angnlarlv disposed miter gears eonncvting the latter shaft and the longitudinal shaft.

lT. in a sheet feeding machine, the combinati n \\ith a frame provided with parallel guides consisting of rack bars, a transverse l carriage provided with rotating hucklcrs and having hracltcts slidahle on the guides, pinions engaging the rack bars, a shaft jourltlli ll on the carriage to which the piuions :n'c lived. and means for communicating motion to thc hncklers irrespective of the adjnslmcnt of the carriage.

in. in a sheet. feeding machine, the (unthination with a frame provided with pnrallcl shaft and the bucklers and front feeding debetween; the shafts.

guldes consisting of rack bars, a transv rse carriage nrovided with rotatable buhk ers and having brackets slidable Oh the guides, a shaft journaled on th carriage for im,- parting motion to the buqklers and havin a gear fixed thereto, a longitudinal aha having a gear splined thereon and hgaging the former gear, pinions engaging the rack bars, and a, shaft journaled on the carriage to which the pinions are fixed.

In testimo wheregf I flfilt' my Signimture in presence 9- WW Witheses.

HOMER 0. LA BATT.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR B 5121150115; Ememafifi Mom'ron. 

